Thursday, 16 February 2012

Crazy Sock-Monkey Lady.

It's been busy here in Hilly Town because it's half term and we like to keep busy at half term. In all honesty a lot of the activity has been in the house because the girls were exhausted. They wanted to stay in their pyjamas and play with their toys and I wasn't about to say no. But the last couple of days we have been staying with my parents and it was lovely to see them and have a change of scene. I really feel like a new woman.

I was pretty horrified though to walk back into my house and realise that I had left it in a terrible mess. This is most unlike me, I try to leave everything reasonably tidy when I go away so that I enjoy coming home. I seem to have let myself get into far more of a state than was necessary over the job thing. Never mind though, it must be time for me to join in properly with Pretty Crafty Home.

I've also read a lot over the past few weeks. I get the girls to bed and snuggle up on the sofa looking out over Hilly Town. It's peaceful time and I've needed it so much over the past few weeks. I have lots of books to talk about, so there will be a few of those posts coming up.

Creatively I have not been idle though, I managed to make my mother this funny little creature. Sock monkeys are strange beasts. I tend to start out with a pair of socks, a few buttons and my sewing machine meaning to create one thing but the spirit of sock monkeys takes over and they always come out very peculiar. This one was made with a perfectly gorgeous and rather expensive pair of Paul Smith socks, however she turned out quite strange....

I tried to warn my mother when she asked for a monkey, sock monkeys for adults tend to come out slightly sinister in all honesty. The cats are always cute, but the monkeys? Willful little creatures. I think she liked her though. I tried to make her a little less strange by adding a bright pink artist's beret (my mother is a brilliant artist), but it just looks like a mad old lady hat. I was desperately worried my mother would think I was being insulting, this could not be the case because a woman less like a batty old lady than my mother you could not meet. Fortunately she found Petal (as she has been named) hilarious.

I have to report though that my mother did not sleep well with Petal in her room. I bet that next time I go she has been moved to a different area of the house. My sister moved the one I made her out of her room as well, they are not restful in the slightest. I know it's a strange thing to say but the sock toys make themselves, they spring to life in my hands, I very rarely know how they will come out and am sometimes very surprised. I always give them to the intended recipient regardless, heaven knows what my mental state would be if I kept them all in the house.

I also managed a little make for the girls on Valentine's Day. I tried to make them each an amigurumi heart but couldn't get the pattern to work, luckily Gingerbread Lady came to my help at the eleventh hour with this lovely, and delightfully easy, pattern. I was able to make two of these in about 15 minutes, which was good, because I did not even remember it was Valentine's Day until about 9 pm on the 13th of February.

In other news my Valentine's Day presents arrived while we were away....

Is it normal to get so excited about the prospect of crocheting a cat? Am I asking the wrong people?

13 comments:

Your monkey has LOTS of personality!! I've made a few, have you seen them on my blog? I make them for my grandkids. Now I'm on to crocheting Teddy Bears.. I'm starting #3 today! The Valentine necklaces you made are quite lovely.. good on you! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

I loved reading about the sock monkey, and your mum. I think the idea that they create themselves is fantastic! I think you really are asking the wrong people, a crochet cat sounds wonderful.... the books look great my kind of valentine present.

Hi, I just found your blog and I love that sock monkey. She really does have so much character! I also think the cats on the cover of the magazine look very cute and can't wait to see how they turn out when you make them :) Happy crocheting, Alice.

Oh that sock monkey is very cute!!it is slightly amusing to read about your mums experience with the sock monkey! I am not sure I could keep one in my room, they are far too alert looking :P

Those little hearts are very adorable, and I am glad you managed to get help in making them!! Just in time for valentines day! Amineko story looks quite fascinating, what wonderful valentines presents :)

The sock monkey looks like it's made out of fabric! What cool socks and a jaunty crocheted beret.Cute little Valentines for your kids.What a fun package to receive and come home to. Can't want to see you dig into those.

Love the monkey :-) I can see how they would turn out exactly as they want to though! Love the cute little hearts :-)Oh yes it's perfectly normal to get excited at crocheting a cat, well it is for me anyway lol!

About Me

Thank you for visiting us here in Hilly Town. I am a teacher, married to a soldier and a mummy to two little bundles of gorgeous; L and B. I blog about crochet, knitting, sewing, the Cotswolds, our family life and anything else I feel like blogging about. I love it when people leave comments, but I don't like to beg.
Harriet XXX